"Unified Command conferenced last night and reached [conditional] approval of Carnival’s Plan, subject to approval between Broward and Carnival," Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine wrote on Thursday. "Final document will be released this morning. As of now, ships remain outside US Waters. Look forward to seeing a SAFE plan for all to resolve."

The cruise company's plan as of Wednesday night proposed that guests who are well enough to travel "transfer straight from the ship to flights for onward travel home, the majority on charter flight." Holland America said nearly 1,200 guests are well enough to travel.

The trapped cruise ship guests includes 49 Floridians, according to Port Everglades, the port where they hope to disembark. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday the state would accept the 49 Floridians as officials considered what to do with the rest of the cruise ship guests.

"I personally understand the humanitarian issue here," Udine told FOX Business on Sunday. "These people are stuck at sea. We're being told mitigate and social distance. The health system is crowded, and we need to be sure we have this properly planned out."

The region's Unified Command consists of members of the Coast Guard, the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Customs and Border Protection, Florida Department of Health officials and the management of Port Everglades.

Passengers board a lifeboat from Holland America Line cruise ship MS Zaandam to be transported to her sister ship Rotterdam (R) on Panama Bay, Panama on March 28. (Panama Maritime Authority/Handout va REUTERS)

Two Holland America ships, the Zaandam and the Rotterdam, have now split the Zaandam's original passenger load. The Zaandam, which was supposed to make port in South America in March, has reported four deaths among "older passengers" but did not confirm whether the deaths were coronavirus-related. The Rotterdam met up with the Zaandam to offload healthy guests.